Adipocyte ABCA1 expression analysis using flow cytometry.

Adipocyte characterization and assessing membrane proteins using flow cytometry has been proven to be challenging as adipocytes are fragile, especially in subjects with high BMI. We overcame these challenges through a protocol optimizing tissue digestion time by reducing intermediate steps to minimize adipocyte friction and breakage. We avoided requirement for specialized instrument configuration and used a modified gating strategy to prevent inclusion of lipid droplets during analysis. Up to 90% of the cell population were available in the gating area. We checked the expression level of ABCA1, a membrane protein reaffirming adipocyte selection. In summary, this protocol requires lesser tissue sample improving feasibility and cost efficiency. Thus, our flow cytometry method is an improvement for studying adipocyte membrane characteristics.

Comparison of inflammatory markers in low-pressure pneumoperitoneum with deep neuromuscular block versus standard pressure pneumoperitoneum among patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallstone disease: a randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND: Low-pressure pneumoperitoneum (LPP) is an attempt to improve laparoscopic surgery. Lower pressure causes lesser inflammation and better hemodynamics. There is a lack of literature comparing inflammatory markers in LPP with deep NMB to standard pressure pneumoperitoneum (SPP) with moderate NMB in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODOLOGY: This was a single institutional prospective randomized control trial. Participants included all patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic gall stone disease. Participants were divided into 2 groups group A and B. Group A-Low-pressure group in which pneumoperitoneum pressure was kept low (8-10 mmHg) with deep Neuromuscular blockade (NMB) and Group B-Normal pressure group (12-14 mmHg) with moderate NMB. A convenience sample size of 80 with 40 in each group was selected. Lab investigations like CBC, LFT, RFT and serum IL-1, IL-6, IL-17, TNF alpha levels were measured at base line and 24 h after surgery and compared using appropriate statistical tests. Other parameters like length of hospital stay, post-operative pain score, conversion rate (low-pressure to standard pressure), and complications were also compared. RESULTS: Eighty participants were analysed with 40 in each group. Baseline characteristics and investigations were statistically similar. Difference (post-operative-pre-operative) of inflammatory markers were compared between both groups. Numerically there was a slightly higher rise in most of the inflammatory markers (TLC, ESR, CRP, IL-6, TNFα) in Group B compared to Group A but not statistically significant. Albumin showed significant fall (p < 0.001) in Group B compared to Group A. Post-operative pain was also significantly less (p < 0.001) in Group A compared to Group B at 6 h and 24 h. There were no differences in length of hospital stay and incidence of complications. There was no conversion from low-pressure to standard pressure. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed under low-pressure pneumoperitoneum with deep NMB may have lesser inflammation and lesser post-operative pain compared to standard pressure pneumoperitoneum with moderate NMB. Future studies with larger sample size need to be designed to support these findings.

Assessing agreement between population-level administrative pharmaceutical databases and patient-reported medication dispensation in cardiac rehabilitation patients.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacoepidemiology has emerged as a crucial field in evaluating the use and effects of medications in large populations to ensure their safe and effective use. This study aimed to assess the agreement of cardiac medication use between a provincial medication database, the Pharmaceutical Information Network (PIN), and reconciled medication data from confirmation through patient interviews for patients referred to cardiac rehabilitation. METHODS: The study included data from patients referred to the TotalCardiology Rehabilitation CR program, and medication data was available in both TotalCardiology Rehabilitation charts and PIN. The accuracy of medication data obtained from patient interviews was compared to that obtained from PIN with proportions and kappa statistics to evaluate the reliability of PIN data in assessing medication use. RESULTS: Patient-reported usage was higher for statins (41.6 %) vs. 38.4 %), ACE/ARB, beta-blockers (75.7 %) vs. 73.7 %), DOAC (3.5 %) vs. 2.6 %), and ADP-receptor antagonists (71.0 %) vs. 68.1 %) than if PIN was used. Patient-reported usage data was lower for Ezetimibe (4.7 vs. 4.8 %), Aldosterone antagonists (5.4 %) vs. 5.5 %), digoxin (0.9 %) vs. 1.0 %), calcium channel blockers (19.2 vs. 19.9 %) and warfarin (7.2 %) vs. 8.1 %). The results indicated that the differences between the two sources were very small, with an average agreement of 95.3 % and a kappa of 0.70. CONCLUSION: The study's results, which show a high level of agreement between PIN and patient self-reporting, affirm the reliability of PIN data as a source for obtaining an accurate assessment of medication use. This finding is crucial in the context of pharmacoepidemiology research, where the accuracy of data is paramount. Further research to explore the complementary use of both data sources will be valuable.

Outcomes following reoperative bariatric surgery following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy at a tertiary care centre.

INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is the most common bariatric surgical procedure worldwide. Approximately 20%-30% of patients present with weight loss failure or reflux following SG, which might require reoperative surgery. We present the surgical outcomes and complications following reoperative bariatric surgery at a tertiary care centre. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospectively collected data of all patients undergoing reoperative bariatric surgery from 2008 to 2021 were analysed retrospectively. Weight loss, resolution of comorbidities and complications following reoperative surgery were evaluated. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were included in the study. The mean age was 38.8 (10.8) years. The primary procedure performed was laparoscopic SG in all cases. Nine patients underwent Roux en Y gastric bypass (RYGB) (one banded RYGB) and 14 underwent one anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) (three-banded OAGB). Three patients underwent resleeve. The most common indication was weight loss failure (65.3%). Fifteen patients were diagnosed to have hiatal hernia intraoperatively and concomitant repair was performed. The mean body mass index before revision surgery was 42.7 (9.8). It was 32.6 (5.7) kg/m2 and 33.0 (6.1) kg/m2 at 1 and 3 years, respectively. Age and pre-revision surgery excess weight correlated with weight loss (r = -0.79 and r = 0.99, respectively). Leak and bleeding occurred in one and two patients, respectively. There were two band-related complications and one 30-day mortality. CONCLUSION: Re-operative bariatric surgery following SG has adequate weight loss with acceptable complication rates. Band placement in re-operative surgery might lead to a higher complication rate.

Subserosal Supernumerary Muscle Layer of the Intestine: A Peculiar Bowel.

The presence of a supernumerary subserosal muscle layer of the bowel is an extremely unusual congenital development. The following is a report of diffuse involvement of the intestine with a supernumerary subserosal muscle coat. The current patient, a 29-year-old male, was evaluated in January 2022 for a long-standing history of subacute intestinal obstruction (SAIO). A preoperative CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis suggested mild dilatation and clumping of ileal loops in the right iliac fossa, with a subtle wall thickening of up to 5 mm. Intraoperatively, dense adhesions were noted between clumped bowel loops and the anterior abdominal wall. Following adhesiolysis, ileocecal resection with ileocolic anastomosis was done. The histopathological examination of the resected bowel segment showed irregular hypertrophy of circular and longitudinal muscle layers with the presence of an additional smooth muscle coat outer to the outer longitudinal layer that was seen in the ileum as well as the appendix. No evidence of vacuolar degeneration was noted, and ganglion cells were seen to be adequately present. The presence of additional smooth muscle bundles in the subserosa was confirmed with positive actin immunostaining. Additionally, CD117 staining was done that revealed a normal network of interstitial cells of Cajal. No evidence of active inflammation was noted in the resected bowel segment. Findings from the current case bring to light an extremely rare malformation of the muscularis propria of the intestine, namely a supernumerary subserosal muscle coat.

Mortality Benefits of Cardiac Rehabilitation in Coronary Artery Disease Are Mediated by Comprehensive Risk Factor Modification: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a multicomponent intervention to reduce adverse outcomes from coronary artery disease, but its mechanisms are not fully understood. The aims of this study were to examine the impact of CR on survival and cardiovascular risk factors, and to determine potential mediators between CR attendance and reduced mortality. METHODS AND RESULTS: A retrospective mediation analysis was conducted among 11 196 patients referred to a 12-week CR program following an acute coronary syndrome event between 2009 and 2019. A panel of cardiovascular risk factors was assessed at a CR intake visit and repeated on CR completion. All-cause and cardiovascular mortality were ascertained via health care administrative data sets at mean 4.2-year follow-up (SD, 2.81 years). CR completion was associated with reduced all-cause (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.67 [95% CI, 0.54-0.83]) and cardiovascular (adjusted HR, 0.57 [95% CI, 0.40-0.81]) mortality, as well as improved cardiorespiratory fitness, lipid profile, body composition, psychological distress, and smoking rates (P<0.001). CR attendance had an indirect effect on all-cause mortality via improved cardiorespiratory fitness (ab=-0.006 [95% CI, -0.008 to -0.003]) and via low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ab=-0.002 [95% CI, -0.003 to -0.0003]) and had an indirect effect on cardiovascular mortality via cardiorespiratory fitness (ab=-0.007 [95% CI, -0.012 to -0.003]). CONCLUSIONS: Cardiorespiratory fitness and lipid control partly explain the mortality benefits of CR and represent important secondary prevention targets.